Suspended-spindle gyratory crusher with means to adjust the spindle



3,345,000 "1TH MEANS I. AL

IliUSHEH IIINDLE Oct: 3. 1967 KER lJSFENDBD-SP NDLL l L'RATCRl' TO ADJUST THE Filed Jan. 8, 1965 3,345,000 ATORY CRUSHER WITH MEANS T T SPINDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DECKER ET AL LE GYR ADJUS HE Oct. 3, 1967 SUSPENDED s H PIND Filed Jail. 8, 1965 United States Patent SUSPENDED-SPINDLE GYRATORY CRUSHER WITH MEANS T0 ADJUST THE SPINDLE Hanns Decker, Cologne-Bath, and Helmut Stiickmanu,

Wesseling, near Cologne, Germany, assignors to Kliickner Humboldt Deutz Aktiengesellschaft, Cologne- Deutz, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Jam-8, 1965, Ser. No. 424,324

Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 17, 1964,

9 Claims. (Cl. 241-209) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A suspended-spindle gyratory crusher has a substantially vertically extending crusher spindle, bearing means for the spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of the spindle and spaced from the bearing means, hydraulic pressure means supported by the bearing means beneath the adjusting nut. There is also provided a support member located between the adjusting nut and the bearing means for supporting the adjusting nut, the hydraulic pressure means being actuable for raising the nut from the support member, the spindle thereby being movable in an upward direction relative to the bearing. The support member is removable from between the adjusting nut and the bearing means in the raised position of the nut, and the hydraulic pressure means is actuable, upon removal of the support member, for lowering the nut to a position below that at which it was supported by the support member before the removal thereof.

Our invention relates to suspended-spindle gyratory crushers and more particularly to gyratory crushers having a spindle suspended from an adjusting nut located at one end thereof.

The crusher cone spindle of gyratory cone crushers of this type can be raised and lowered by suitably turning the adjusting nut. The width of the crusher gape can accordingly be adjusted in this way. When cone crushers of this type are suddenly stopped while operating with a full load in the converging space between the concaves or crusher lining and the crusher cone, for example due to the presence of a foreign body therein, such as a piece of uncrushable iron, or due to operating current failure, it isnot possible in most cases to continue operation of the crusher without first completely removing from the converging space the load material to be crushed. Further operation is rendered especially difficult when foreign bodies, such as the aforementioned iron pieces or the like, are accidentally admitted to the crusher gape so as to cause binding of the crusher cone. In such cases one can attempt to eliminate the binding effect by lowering the crusher cone, however it has been found to be very difiicult or actually impossible to loosen the adjusting nut at the upper end of the crusher cone spindle when such binding of the crusher cone occurs.

It is accordingly an object of our invention to avoid difficulties of the known suspended spindle gyratory crushers and more particularly to provide means forreadily raising and lowering the crusher cone and consequently eliminating any binding thereof that might occur.

With these and other objects in view, we provide a hydraulic device between the adjusting nut and a spindle bearing for raising and lowering the cone spindle as well as removable supporting elements therefor. During operation the adjusting nut is supported on the supporting elements so that a specific gape width corresponding to the adjusted position of the nut can be maintained. If the crusher motion stops with a loaded crusher gape, the hy- 3,345,000 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 draulic device is set in operation and the crusher cone spindle is raised slightly so that the adjusting nut is spaced from the supporting elements, in fact only so far as to permit the supporting elements to be removed. Thereafter, the crusher cone spindle is lowered hydraulically and the ,crusher gape is thereby widened so that when a foreign body is located in the crusher gape it can readily drop out of the enlarged space between the cone and the lining. It is easily possible to continue operating the loaded crusher with the widened crusher gape without any danger of overloading the drive members, the bearings or the like. For continuing the operation of the cone crusher, the crusher cone spindle is then raised by means of the hydraulic device, the supporting elements are replaced, and the hydraulic device then shut off.

In accordance with another aspect of our invention, the supporting element is in the form of a support ring formed of at least two segments, the ring being easily loosened by separating the segments one from the other.

In accordance with further aspects of our invention, the hydraulic device either includes an intermediate ring [with at least three axially extending hydraulic cylinders each having a piston, or includes an intermediate ring having an axial ring cylinder with a corresponding ring piston. When the intermediate ring has several hydraulic cylinders, it is further advantageous to provide a channel connecting these cylinders and communicating with a hydraulic pressure source. Since the hydraulic device roitates with the cone crusher spindle during operation of {the crusher, the hydraulic pressure source is only connected to the channel when the hydraulic device is to be operated, i.e. when the cone crusher has been stopped.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in suspended-spindle gyratory crushers, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details 'shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments and modifications when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 7 i

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a suspended-spindle gyratory crusher in accordance with our invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlargement in longitudinal cross section of the suspension for the cone crusher spindle.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of FIG. 2 taken along the line III-III in the direction of the arrows and showing the intermediate ring with a plurality of hydraulic cylinders; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the intermediate ring shown in FIG. 3, provided with a hydraulic ring cylinder.

Referring now to the drawings and first particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a gyratory crusher having a crusher cone consisting of a lower portion 1 and an upper portion 2. A spindle 3 of the crusher cone is suspended in a swingable bearing 4 which is described in greater detail hereinbelow. The crusher cone spindle 3 is mounted at its lower end in an eccentric sleeve 4' which is rotatable by means of a bevel gear 5 meshing with a bevel drive pinion 6.

The crusher cone 1, 2 is surrounded by a crusher shell or mantle 7 which carries crusher concaves or linings consisting of two rings 8, 9 on the inner face thereof. The

3 crusher shell 7 is tightened or stressed between the crusher main frame 11 and a head ring 12 that carries a spider 14 which, in turn, supports a housing 13 for the upper spindle bearing 4. A supply hopper 15 for the material to be crushed is located on the head ring 12.

The upper swingable bearing 4 for the crusher cone spindle provided in the bearing housing 13 is shown in enlarged cross section in FIG. 2. The bearing 4 consists of two outer bearing shells 16 and 17 in which an inner bearing sphere or ball 18 is swingably mounted. The bearing ball 18 is formed with an inner bore in which the crusher cone spindle '3 is guided upwardly and downward- 1y so as to raise or lower the crusher cone accordingly. The crusher spindle 3 is secured to the bearing ball 18 by means of the slot 19 and key 20. Thus, the crusher cone spindle is axially displace-able with respect to the bearing ball 18, yet the bearing ball 18 is entrained by and rotatable with the spindle 3. The upper end 21 of the crusher spindle 3 is formed with an external thread and an adjusting nut 22 is screwed on the thread of the spindle end 21. The adjusting nut 22 presses against an upper flat surface of the inner bearing ball 18 through the intermediary of a supporting ring 23 and an intermediate ring 24. By suitably turning the adjusting nut 22 relative to the crusher spindle 3, the crusher spindle 3 and, consequently, the crusher cone 1, 2 can be raised and lowered so that varying widths of the crusher gape, i.e. the space between the lower region of the crusher shell inner lining, and the corresponding region of the crusher cone, can be adjusted.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the intermediate ring 24 is provided with a circumferentially arranged row of axial hydraulic cylinders 25. A piston 26 is guided in each of the cylinders 25. The pistons 26 can be subjected to pressure by supplying hydraulic fluid such as oil into the cylinders 25 below the adjusting nut 22 so that the pistons .26 rise and consequently abut against a bottom face of the nut 22 and raise the nut. In order to assure uniform raising of the pistons 26 by the hydraulic fluid, the cylinders 25 are connected one to the other with a common channel 27 at their lowermost points, the channel 27 being connected in turn through an opening 28 and a connecting tube 29 to a hydraulic pressure source, for example an oil pump (not shown).

The support ring 23, which is provided between the adjusting nut 22 and the intermediate ring 24, consists of two semicircular segments (only one shown in FIG. 2.) which are connected one to the other by means of flanges 30 and suitable screws or bolts 31. By loosening the screws 31, the support ring 23 can be dismantled and removed after the nut 22 has been raised with the aid of the hydraulic device 25, 26.

If a conventional gyratory cone crusher were to stop during operation, i.e. with the gape between the cone and the concaves or lining on the crusher shell filled with material to be crushed, which can happen for example because of overloading with hard material to be crushed or due to accidental supply thereto of pieces that cannot be crushed, such as iron pieces or the like, the crusher can not be set in operation again very readily against the resistance of the load material. Frequently, the conventional crusher cone is caused to bind in such cases. With the gyratory crusher constructed according to the present invention, however, the hydraulic device of the suspended crusher cone is connected to a hydraulic pressure source and the pistons 26 are guided substantially in an upward direction under the high pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the respective cylinders 25 so that they raise the nut 22 and therewith the crusher spindle 3 and the crusher cone 1, 2, against the resistance of the material located in the crusher gape, a suflicient distance so that the support ring 23, after being dismantled into its component segments, can be withdrawn. Thereafter, the crusher cone is lowered by draining the hydraulic fluid from the cylinders 25 so that the crusher gape .is widened. If pieces of material that cannot be crushed have penetrated into the crusher gape, they will now fall out. In every case, however, the continued operation of the crusher in the lowered position of the crusher cone is possible. After the crusher gape has been emptied, the crusher cone is again raised with the aid of the hydraulic device, and the supporting ring 23 is reinserted.

The adjustment of the gape width of the cone crusher, i.e. the adjustment of the level of the crusher cone, takes place either in known manner by turning the adjusting nut 22 with respect to the crusher cone spindle 3 or by inserting thicker or flatter support rings 23 between the adjusting nut 22 and the intermediate ring 24 or by inserting auxiliary spacer rings. Forinserting or exchanging support and spacer rings, respectively, the adjusting nut 22 is raised in the above-described manner by means of the hydraulic device 25, 26.

As shown in FIG. 4, a continuous annular and axially extending hydraulic cylinder 32 can be provided in the intermediate ring 24 instead of the plurality of hydraulic cylinder 25. The corresponding piston 33 is in this case naturally also of annular shape.

As aforedescribed, the hydraulic device is not normally subjected to pressure during operation of the cone crusher because the adjusting nut 22 then abuts against the supporting ring 23. The hydraulic device is therefore not subjected either to vertical or horizontal forces during operation of the crusher, so that ditfieulties caused by improper sealing, leak losses and the like, as are usually encountered for hydraulically loaded adjusting devices, cannot take place during operation of the crusher of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a suspended-spindle gyratory crusher, a substantially vertically extending crusher spindle, bearing means for said spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of said spindle and spaced from said bearing means, hydraulic pressure means supported by said bearing means beneath said adjusting nut, and a support member located between said adjusting nut and said bearing means for supporting said adjusting nut, said hydraulic pressure means being actuable for raising said nut from said support member, said spindle being thereby movable in an upward direction relative to said bearing, said support member being removable from between said adjusting nut and said bearing means in the raised position of the nut, and the hydraulic pressure means being actuable, upon removal of said support member, for lowering the nut to a position below that at which it was supported by the support member before the removal thereof.

2. Suspended-spindle gyratory crusher according to claim 1 wherein said support member is ring-shaped and comprises at least two detachable segments.

3. In a suspended-spindle gyratory crusher, a substantially vertical crusher spindle, bearing means for said spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of said spindle and spaced from said bearing means, hydraulic pressure means comprising a ring member located intermediate said bearing means and said adjusting nut, said ring member being formed with a least three hydraulic cylinders extending substantially in a vertical direction and including a piston located in each of said cylinders and displaceable into engagement with said adjusting nut for raising and lowering said nut and said spindle relative to said bearing, and a support member located between said adjusting nut and said bearing means for supporting said adjusting nut, said support member being removable from between said adjusting nut and said bearing means in the raised position of the nut, and the hydraulic pressure means being actuable, upon removal of said support member, for lowering the nut to a position below that at which it was supported by the support member before the removal thereof.

4. In a suspended-spindle gyratory crusher, a substantially vertical crusher spindle, bearing means for said spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of said spindle and spaced from said bearing means, and hydraulic pressure means comprising a ring member located intermediate said bearing means and said adjusting nut, said ring member being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced hydraulic cylinders extending substantially in a vertical direction and including a piston located in each of said cylinders and displaceable into engagement with said adjusting nut for raising and lowering said nut and said spindle relative to said bearing, and a support member located between said adjusting nut and said bearing means for supporting said adjusting nut, said support member being removable from between said adjusting nut and said bearing means in the raised position of the nut, and the hydraulic pressure means being actuable, upon removal of said support member, for lower ing the nut to a position below that at which it was supported by the support member before the removal thereof.

5. In a suspended-spindle gyratory crusher, a substantially vertical crusher spindle, bearing means for said spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of said spindle and spaced from said bearing means, hydraulic pressure means comprising a ring member located intermediate said bearing means and said adjusting nut, said ring member being formed with an annular hydraulic cylinder extending substantially in a vertical direction and including a corresponding annular piston located in said annular cylinder and displaceable into engagement with said adjusting nut for raising and lowering said nut and spindle relative to said bearing, and a support member located between said adjusting nut and said bearing means for supporting said adjusting nut, said support member being removable from between said adjusting nut and said bearing means in the raised position of the nut, and the hydraulic pressure means being actuable, upon removal of said support member, for lowering the nut to a position below that at which it was supported by the support member before the removal thereof.

6. In a suspended-spindle gyratory crusher, a substantially vertical crusher spindle, bearing means for said spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of said spindle and spaced from said bearing means, hydraulic pressure means comprising a ring member located intermediate said bearing means and said adjusting nut, said ring member being formed with a plurality of hydraulic cylinders extending substantially in a vertical direction and including a piston located in each of said cylinders and displaceable into engagement with said adjusting nut for raising and lowering said nut and said spindle rela tive to said bearing, channel means interconnecting said hydraulic cylinders and communicable with a hydraulic pressure source for applying substantially equal hydraulic pressure simultaneously to each of said cylinders, and a support member located between said adjusting nut and said bearing means for supporting said adjusting nut, said support member being removable from between said adjusting nut and said bearing means in the raised position of the nut, and the hydraulic pressure means being actuable, upon removal of said support member, for lowering the nut to a position below that at which it Was supported by the support member before the removal thereof.

7. Suspended-spindle gyratory crusher comprising a stationary crusher mantle having an inner crusher lining, a substantially vertical crusher spindle located within said mantle, a crusher cone coaxially mounted on said spindle and adapted to perform gyratory motion so as to crush crushable material located in a gape between said crusher cone and said crusher lining, bearing means for said spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of said spindle and spaced from said bearing means, hydraulic pressure means located intermediate said bearing means and said adjusting nut and engageable with said nut for raising and lowering said nut so as to adjust the width of said gape for discharging load material located therein,

and a support member located between said adjusting nut and said bearing means for supporting said adjusting nut, said support member being removable from between said adjusting nut and said bearing means in the raised position of the nut, and the hydraulic pressure means being actuable, upon removal of said support member, for lowering the nut to a position below that at which it was supported by the support member before the removal thereof.

8. Suspended-spindle gyratory crusher comprising a stationary crusher mantle having an inner crusher lining, a substantially vertical crusher spindle located within said mantle, a crusher cone coaxially mounted on said spindle and adapted to perform gyratory motion so as to crush crushable material located in a gape between said crusher cone and said crusher lining, bearing means for said spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of said spindle and spaced from said bearing means, hydraulic pressure means comprising a ring member located intermediate said bearing means and said adjusting nut, said ring member being formed with a plurality of hydraulic cylinders extending substantially in a vertical direction and including a piston displaceable in each of said cylinders, and a ring-shaped support member carried by said ring member of said hydraulic pressure means for supporting said adjusting nut, said support member comprising at least two detachable segments, said pistons being actuable for engaging and raising said adjusting nut from said support member whereby said segments of support member can be detached and removed from between said adjusting nut and said hydraulic pressure means, and said pistons being also actuable for lowering said adjusting nut to said ring member of said hydraulic pressure means so as to increase the width of said gape for discharging uncrushable material located therein and causing binding of said crusher cone.

9. Suspended-spindle gyratory crusher comprising a stationary crusher mantle having an inner crusher lining, a substantially vertical crusher spindle located within said mantle, a crusher cone coaxially mounted on said spindle and adapted to perform gyratory motion so as to crush crushable material located in a gape between said crusher cone and said crusher lining, bearing means for said spindle, an adjusting nut mounted at the upper end of said spindle and spaced from said bearing means, hydraulic pressure means comprising a ring member located intermediate said bearing means and said adjusting nut, said ring member being formed with an annular hydraulic cylinder substantially coaxial with said spindle and including a corresponding annular piston displaceable in said annular cylinder and a ring-shaped support member carried by said ring member of said hydraulic pressure means for supporting said adjusting nut, said support member comprising at least two detachable segments, said piston being actuable for engaging and raising said adjusting nut from said support member whereby said segments of support member can be detached and removed from between said adjusting nut and said hydraulic pressure means, and said piston being also actuable for lowering said adjusting nut to said ring member of said hydraulic pressure means so as to increase the width of said gape for discharging uncrushable material located therein and causing binding of said crusher cone.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,424 10/1963 France.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SUSPENDED-SPINDLE GYRATORY CRUSHER, A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING CRUSHER SPINDLE, BEARING MEANS FOR SAID SPINDLE, AN ADJUSTING NUT MOUNTED AT THE UPPER END OF SAID SPINDLE AND SPACED FROM SAID BEARING MEANS, HYDRAULIC PRESSURE MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID BEARING MEANS BENEATH SAID ADJUSTING NUT, AND A SUPPORT MEMBER LOCATED BETWEEN SAID ADJUSTING NUT AND SAID BEARING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID ADJUSTING NUT, SAID HYDRAULIC PRESSURE MEANS BEING ACTUABLE FOR RAISING SAID NUT FROM SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID SPINDLE BEING THEREBY MOVABLE IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID BEARING, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER BEING REMOVABLE FROM BETWEEN SAID ADJUSTING NUT AND SAID BEARING MEANS IN THE RAISED POSITION OF THE NUT, AND THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE MEANS BEING ACTUABLE, UPON REMOVAL OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, FOR LOWERING THE NUT TO A POSITION BELOW THAT AT WHICH IT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE SUPPORT MEMBER BEFORE THE REMOVAL THEREOF. 